If you enjoy the historical crime novels of Anna Mazzola, you will be interested in authors who write books with similar themes. Mazzola’s books often explore the dark side of history, investigate mysteries, and feature strong women.
If you like books of this type, here are some authors you might want to check out.
Books by Laura Purcell offer readers atmospheric historical mysteries filled with suspense and Gothic intrigue. If Anna Mazzola’s blend of vivid historical settings and twisting plots keeps you turning pages, Purcell’s novels could be your next great read.
Her book “The Silent Companions” tells the chilling story of Elsie Bainbridge, a young widow who arrives at her late husband’s isolated ancestral home and discovers mysterious wooden figures hidden in sealed rooms.
As strange events unfold, Elsie must figure out the truth behind her husband’s past and the house’s terrifying secrets before it’s too late. The haunting atmosphere, detailed historical backdrop, and tense storytelling make “The Silent Companions” difficult to put down.
Readers who enjoy Anna Mazzola’s atmospheric storytelling might also appreciate author Jess Kidd. Kidd crafts mysterious tales set against fascinating historical backdrops, skillfully blending the supernatural with rich historical detail.
Her novel “Things in Jars” transports readers to Victorian London, following detective Bridie Devine as she investigates an unusual kidnapping. Bridie faces a dark underworld of eccentric characters and strange occurrences.
The book combines suspense, historical intrigue, and a hint of the supernatural, making it a captivating pick for Mazzola fans.
Stacey Halls is an English author who creates historical fiction filled with suspense and detailed settings. If you enjoyed Anna Mazzola’s atmospheric storytelling, you’ll probably find Halls’ work fascinating.
Her novel “The Familiars” is set against the backdrop of the Pendle witch trials. It follows Fleetwood Shuttleworth, a young noblewoman desperate to carry her pregnancy to term after several heartbreaking losses.
Fleetwood meets Alice Gray, a mysterious woman who claims to be a midwife but soon becomes implicated in witchcraft allegations. Fleetwood battles prejudice and superstition to uncover the truth and save both her child and her new friend.
The narrative pulls you into the fears and dangers faced by women during this dark historical period.
Readers who enjoy Anna Mazzola’s atmospheric historical mysteries may find Sarah Perry intriguing. Perry’s novel “The Essex Serpent” takes place in Victorian England and mixes history, superstition, and science.
The story follows newly-widowed Cora Seaborne as she moves to Essex, where local rumors of a mythical serpent stir fear and curiosity. As Cora befriends the village vicar, tension builds between belief and reason, faith and knowledge.
Perry beautifully captures the feel of the era and brings out the depth of her characters. Those fascinated by Mazzola’s storytelling and historical detail might appreciate how Perry crafts suspense from the complicated ways people navigate myth and reality.
Michelle Paver is a British writer known for historical thrillers and ghost stories, often set in remote, atmospheric places steeped in folklore.
If you enjoyed Anna Mazzola’s blend of eerie mystery and vivid historical settings, you’ll likely appreciate Paver’s novel “Dark Matter.” It follows Jack Miller, a young explorer joining a scientific expedition to the desolate Arctic in the 1930s.
Jack soon finds himself isolated in endless darkness at the edge of the world. As unsettling events unfold, superstition and dread seep into everyday life.
This chilling, haunting tale beautifully captures psychological tension, historical detail, and a sense of unease about what might lurk beyond the limits of our understanding.
Kate Morton is an Australian author known for novels rich in history, secrets, and family mysteries, set against beautifully detailed backdrops.
Her novel “The Forgotten Garden” spans several generations, weaving together the tale of a young girl abandoned on a ship bound for Australia. As an adult, the girl searches for her origins but passes this mystery on to her granddaughter Cassandra.
Cassandra’s quest leads her to an old cottage and a hidden garden filled with clues. Readers drawn to Anna Mazzola’s atmospheric historical mysteries will find Morton’s layered storytelling and vivid settings appealing.
Books by Susan Fletcher often take readers into atmospheric historical settings filled with mystery and memorable characters. In her novel “Corrag,” Fletcher tells the story of a young woman accused of witchcraft in 17th-century Scotland.
Corrag shares her life story from a prison cell, describing the harsh beauty of the Highlands and the tragic events leading to the Glencoe Massacre.
Readers who enjoy Anna Mazzola’s blending of historical detail and suspenseful storytelling may appreciate Fletcher’s vivid depiction of place and compelling exploration of courage, persecution, and the search for truth.
Eleanor Catton is a masterful storyteller known for atmospheric novels rich in historical detail and vivid characterization. If you enjoy Anna Mazzola’s thoughtful approach to historical mysteries, you might appreciate Catton’s novel “The Luminaries.”
Set during the New Zealand gold rush of the 1860s, the book opens with the mysterious disappearance of a wealthy miner and an attempted suicide. A web of deceit and hidden connections begins to unravel.
Catton weaves astrology and complex plotlines into a tale layered with intrigue, betrayal, and fate. Her diverse cast of characters, each holding secrets close, slowly reveal themselves as the puzzle pieces fall into place.
“The Luminaries” captures the essence of the era’s societal tensions, human greed, and ambition, all wrapped within a beautifully structured mystery.
If you enjoy Anna Mazzola’s atmospheric blend of historical intrigue and rich storytelling, Emma Donoghue could be your next favorite author. Donoghue excels in creating vivid worlds with emotional depth, as demonstrated in her novel “The Wonder.”
The story follows Lib Wright, an English nurse summoned to rural Ireland in the 19th century, to observe a young girl who claims she survives without eating.
Torn between suspicion of deceit and fascination with local traditions, Lib must untangle questions of faith, truth, and superstition. The novel combines a tense psychological mystery with authentic historical detail, a combination sure to captivate fans of Mazzola’s work.
Claire Fuller writes atmospheric historical fiction with rich suspense and memorable characters. Her novel “Bitter Orange” follows Frances Jellico, a quiet woman hired to survey architectural details of an old English country house during the summer of 1969.
Soon after Frances arrives, she meets the intriguing, glamorous couple living below her apartment, Peter and Cara. As the summer days pass, obsession, secrets, and lies build among the trio, leading to consequences no one anticipates.
If you enjoy Anna Mazzola’s historical mysteries filled with psychological tension, Claire Fuller’s subtle storytelling and complex characters make “Bitter Orange” a great pick.
Readers who enjoy Anna Mazzola’s atmospheric historical mysteries and vivid storytelling might find Sarah Waters equally captivating. Waters is known for immersing readers deeply into the past, especially Victorian England, with richly detailed scenes and intricate characters.
Her novel “Fingersmith” is set in 19th-century London and follows Sue Trinder, a young woman raised among thieves. She becomes embroiled in an elaborate scheme to deceive an heiress named Maud Lilly.
But layers of deception unravel into surprising twists, turning Sue’s world upside down. Waters skillfully builds suspense and explores complex themes of identity, betrayal, and hidden desires, making “Fingersmith” unforgettable.
If you enjoy Anna Mazzola’s blend of historical atmosphere and psychological suspense, Lucie Whitehouse could be a great discovery. Whitehouse is known for her ability to weave tense, suspenseful narratives set against vividly drawn backdrops.
Her novel “Before We Met” is about Hannah, a newlywed whose husband fails to come home one night. As she tries to piece together clues about where he might be, Hannah uncovers disturbing secrets that call into question how well she truly knows him.
The deeper Hannah digs, the more she suspects that her seemingly perfect marriage might rest on carefully hidden lies and sinister intentions.
Lucie Whitehouse crafts stories that explore trust and deception, appealing to readers who appreciate the emotional depth and intriguing plots found in Anna Mazzola’s writing.
Readers who enjoy Anna Mazzola’s atmospheric storytelling might find Andrew Michael Hurley’s novels equally appealing. His book “The Loney” captures the unsettling solitude of a secluded Lancashire coast, where a family returns on a religious pilgrimage hoping for miracles.
The tension rises when strange rituals, eerie occurrences, and hidden histories surface from the fog-bound shores. Hurley skillfully builds suspense through the landscape itself, creating a story that feels both mysterious and uncannily real.
If you liked the dark historical mysteries in Mazzola’s work, the quiet dread in Hurley’s writing may captivate you.
Readers who enjoy the atmospheric historical suspense of Anna Mazzola might find Erin Kelly’s novels equally intriguing. Kelly crafts tense plots filled with dark secrets and complex characters.
In her novel “He Said/She Said,” Kelly explores a couple’s lives shaken after witnessing an incident during a solar eclipse festival.
Years later, their past resurfaces with disturbing consequences, revealed through alternating accounts that keep you guessing whom to trust until the very end. Fans of carefully layered mysteries and unreliable narrators will quickly become absorbed in Erin Kelly’s storytelling.
Laura Carlin is an author who creates intriguing historical mysteries set against vividly portrayed periods, similar to the style readers enjoy in Anna Mazzola’s work. Her novel “The Wicked Cometh” takes place in 1830s London, a time filled with poverty and hidden dangers.
The story follows Hester White, who unexpectedly finds herself drawn into a tangled mystery when people from London’s poorest neighborhoods go missing. Hester encounters secrets, menace, and an unlikely partnership with Rebekah Brock, a mysterious and intelligent young woman.
Together, they uncover truths about crimes and their own identities through a narrative filled with suspense and atmospheric detail. If you’re fascinated by Victorian thrillers and plots with unexpected connections, Laura Carlin might be worth exploring.